NBC Wins 2013-14 September-to-May Primetime Television Season

NBC has won the 2013-14 Primetime television season in adults 18-49, its first season-long win in 10 years. NBC has delivered a 2.7 rating for the season, the network's highest average in four years, according to "most current" viewing data from Nielsen Media Research with three nights left to count in the traditional September-to-May season.

NBC is up +13% versus its year-ago rating (to a 2.7 from a 2.4), the biggest season-to-season increase for NBC in the 26-year history of Nielsen's People Meter sample, and biggest for any Big 4 network in nine years.

Though benefiting this season from February's coverage of the Sochi Olympics, NBC is still generating the season's #1 adult 18-49 audience, topping Super Bowl-boosted Fox, even when NBC's 18 nights of Sochi coverage are excluded from its season averages. Also, even when all sports programming is excluded, NBC finishes within a tenth of a point of #1 and is the only network up versus last season (with a 2.2 average in 18-49, excluding sports, up +10% versus last season).

NBC accomplishments for the season include:

* Finishing #1 on four of the seven nights of the week, the most for NBC in 12 years (since winning five nights, including a tie, in 2001-02).

* The most nightlong 18-49 wins for NBC in 12 years (with 87 wins among the Big 4 through Sunday, May 18, highest since 131 wins in 2001-02). The total of 87 wins is more than any other network claimed this season or last.

* The most weeklong wins for any networks this season, 18 (including two ties), and also more than for any network last season. It's the most weeklong wins for NBC in 11 years, since winning 19 (including three ties) in 2002-03.

NBC's +13% gain versus last season in 18-49 in "most current" Nielsen results is the biggest increase for any Big 4 network since ABC grew by +16% in "live plus seven day" results for 2004-05.

In total viewers, NBC is #2 for the season (with or without the 18 nights of the Sochi Olympic counted in NBC's average), marking the first time since the 2003-04 season that NBC has finished higher than #4 in total viewers.

Versus last season, NBC was up +33% in total viewers, (9.3 million vs. 7.0 million), the network's biggest total-viewer gain season-to-season in People-Meter history and biggest for any network in 25 years, since FOX grew by +46% in 1988-89.

In adults 18-49 among the broadcast networks, NBC's schedule featured (excluding sports pre- and post-game shows):

* The season's #1 new series and #2 drama, "The Blacklist" (as well as #1 drama excluding encores).

* The season's #1 Friday series, "Grimm."

NBC's Monday is the top-rated regular schedule on any broadcast net in 18-49 (with an average 4.3 rating for regular programming) and NBC's Tuesday (3.1) is a close #3 behind CBS's Thursday (3.3), excluding NBC's NFL-boosted Sunday (4.2), which was the #1 lineup during the fourth quarter of 2013.

Looking at NBC's averages for regular programming this season vs. last in adults 18-49:

* Mondays are up +10%

* Tuesdays are up +15%

* Wednesdays are up +15%

* Thursdays are down 6%

* Fridays are up +13%

* Saturdays are up +14%

* Sundays are up +5%.

NBC has delivered increases in key time periods with scripted programming this season, including these gains:

Late-Night: NBC also continued to dominate late-night all season, with the biggest surge coming since February when Jimmy Fallon took over "The Tonight Show" and Seth Meyers inherited "Late Night."

The combination of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" has dominated the 11:35 p.m. ET hour throughout the September-to-May season. In season-long averages through May 11, "Tonight" has generated a 1.28 rating, up +56% versus last season's 0.82 and the highest "Tonight" rating at this point in five years..

"Tonight" has established a margin this season of +80% versus ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (0.71), up from last season's +30%. Versus CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman" (0.58), "Tonight" has an advantage this season of +121%, up from last season's +17%. These are "Tonight's" biggest leads ever over Letterman or Kimmel in the 11:35-12:35 hour.

"Tonight" has extended its dominance since the host transition in February, with "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" averaging a 1.72 rating in adults 18-49 "most current" averages, giving it a margin of +149% versus "Kimmel" (0.69 since Feb.17) and +207% versus "Late Show" (0.56).

At 12:35 a.m. ET, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" have combined this season for a 0.69 rating, up +25% versus the show's 2012-13 average of 0.55. The margin versus CBS's "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" (0.40) is +73%, up from last season's +28%.